The state of pop culture in the 21st century is one of endless prequels, sequels, reboots, and adaptations. Star Trek and Star Wars? They’ll exist in some form or another until the heat death of the universe, and probably afterwards too. Stephen King novels? Seems like they’ll be perpetually adapted and re-adapted for movie goers and television audiences well into the next century. And James Cameron will discover immortality so he can keep making Avatar sequels forever, despite the fact that everyone stopped caring about the first movie once the credits appeared.

Hollywood’s business practices appear to have rubbed off on the auto industry, as several automakers are poised to reintroduce nameplates from at least a decade ago. But what does it all mean?

Nameplate rebooting isn’t exactly a new practice among automakers. Vehicles like the Camaro, Challenger, and Charger, and Thunderbird relied on their older counterparts when they hit dealer showrooms. But there is one important distinction between the old revivals and the new ones: contemporary nameplate resurrection is heavily tilted towards utility vehicles.

The first modern model resuscitation that didn’t involve a sports car or sedan occurred several years ago when Chrysler decided to slap the Pacifica name on its replacement for the Town & Country. If you’re like me, you were baffled when FCA announced its plan to name its latest minivan after an awkward looking crossover from the mid 2000’s that barely registered with car buyers. In retrospect its not hard to understand why they did it.

Picture this: It’s the fall of 2005. Your first semester of college is next week. You’ve packed all of your stuff into that weird new SUV dad brought home last year. Fortunately, it was big enough to swallow all your stuff, including your Gamecube and your awesome 32 inch Sharp CRT TV.

Fast forward to 2017. You’ve been working as a UX designer at Morally Bankrupt Social Media Company for several years now. Your two year old somehow stuffed an entire pack of Gummy Bears into your old Nintendo but miraculously it still works. You wonder what your next child will be like when he or she is born in two months. It’s time to do the dishes, so you fire up Spotify and get to scrubbing. You tune out the Bluetooth speaker after “Vindicated” by Dashboard Confessional plays because you know some ads are incoming. Then it happens: you hear the words Chrysler Pacifica used in a sentence for an ad for some new minivan. Weird! Dad only got rid of his a couple of years ago. And although it was a bit trouble prone while he had it, that thing was pretty useful. Perhaps this new one is worth checking out.

FCA probably didn’t revive the Pacifica name to appeal to millennials who grew up with the OG model. The first generation wasn’t popular enough to warrant such a campaign. But that also meant the company could reintroduce the name without any controversy whatsoever. And its attachment to a modern crossover automatically made it less stodgy than something called the Town & Country. Customers willing to give a Chrysler minivan a chance weren’t going to be put off by a name change anyway, especially if the vehicle succeeded on the merits, which it did. As a result, FCA successfully held on as leaders of the minivan segment while simultaneously modernizing their newest model with an actual upgrade and a conspicuous rebranding effort.

In contrast to the Pacifica, it is abundantly clear that these recent nameplate revivals are counting on people to remember their predecessors. The Blazer? Definitely a vehicle that millennials are familiar with. And not because their parents owned one. Even lightly used examples of the S-10 Blazer were dirt cheap by 2005. Someone going to high school around that time likely shared their parking lot with students who owned examples from every generation. And if my particular high school was any example, absolutely no one considered the Blazer as a capable off road vehicle. Which is why General Motors is explicitly marketing the new version as a classy urban runabout. It would be dishonest to portray it as anything else.

Does the Passport exist on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as the Blazer? As the first utility vehicle in Honda’s American lineup, the original Passport probably looked a bit out of place to people who associated the brand with smaller cars. And it probably lacked the reliability of its stablemates due to its origin as an Isuzu. But no one could mistake it for anything other than an SUV. And Honda knew it.

Enter the new Passport. Is it any surprise Honda chose that off-road wonderland otherwise known as Moab for its press event? Arguably, the company had to make a concerted effort to separate the Passport from the Pilot, given how similar they look. But its clear they’re also capitalizing on the history of the Passport as an SUV as well.

Honda isn’t alone in using go-anywhere imagery to sell its products. Ford is staking its entire future in North America on it. And the Explorer represents one of the few non F Series products that the Blue Oval can draw upon that specifically evokes those feelings in people. Obviously the Explorer never went away. But it did require a revival for its fifth generation, a tale which is quite possibly the greatest comeback story in the history of the automobile.

Ford is going a step further with the sixth generation Explorer. It’s returning to a rear wheel drive platform, which will no doubt please the hardcore enthusiasts who lamented its switch to the D4 platform nearly ten years ago. And beyond that, it will share powertrains with the F-150 and the Ranger. The 2020 Explorer will also offer a dedicated hybrid and an explicit performance model. The only other vehicle in the Ford family that boasts such a diverse lineup is the Fusion, which is itself a vehicle that will be “revived” when it morphs into a Subaru Outback competitor two or three years from now. Clearly, the Explorer is being designed as a go anywhere vehicle for all automotive tastes. They’re probably going to practically fly off dealer lots. Just like they did in the 90’s.

There are vehicles that have ended production returning in one form or another. And there are continually produced nameplates undergoing substantial enhancements to hit the broadest demographics possible. But what about the cancelled models that never really left the public consciousness? The American market Ford Ranger didn’t receive a substantial update for years yet it is still beloved by many. And despite the new model being substantially larger in size than the 2011 Ranger, its been selling so well that Ford is adding more shifts to meet demand. In fact, Ford estimates they could sell about 300,000 Ranger units in 2019, which would be a remarkable feat since Toyota’s Tacoma, the current segment leader, managed to sell about 245,000 examples in 2018.

It’s been even longer since a new Toyota Supra was available for purchase at your local Toyota dealer. After a long hiatus, the car that makes Japanese sports car fans cream their pants is returning. The Supra obviously won’t be as common as the other vehicles mentioned in this article, but it does represent an interesting milestone: the coupe is the first mass market sports car to be revived that appeals to something other than the Baby Boomers.

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In Hollywood, the four quadrant movie is a film that appeals to men and women regardless of their age. Pretty much any modern tent pole movie is shaped by the four quadrants, and those that do well almost inevitably spawn sequels. Over time these movies end up resonating with audiences to a degree that studios cannot ignore. With the revival of familiar names from the 90’s, it appears the auto industry is headed towards its own form of the four quadrant system, where customers from different generations will discover that the vehicles they or their parents owned are now available in modern form.

Perhaps more significant is the explicit branding of these individual nameplates. In a world where Jeep and Subaru thrive on the brand they’ve created for their respective lineups, their competitors are now developing their own form of brand identity, except they’re doing so at the level of the individual model. And they’re doing so with the full understanding of how people perceived those vehicles back in their heyday. With the American market projected to permanently contract and alternative mobility options to increase, this shift was inevitable. The intersection of revived nameplates and the shift to the automobile as a lifestyle choice rather than a commodity are two developments that are bound to permanently alter the American automotive landscape. And in twenty five years, when people remember this period of automotive history on their way to see Mission Impossible: Xenu’s Revenge, I’m confident they’ll say it first became apparent in 2019. They may even do so while being driven to the theater by a Honda Passport or Chevrolet Blazer. In fact, I’d count on it.

Counterexample: the revival of the VW Rabbit name for the Golf MkV in North America was not a success. It didn’t help that the GTI was marketed as a separate model, and the wagon was sold as a Jetta. Now they are all under the “Golf” name.

Honda’s choice of “Passport” is baffling to me. It was the Honda that wasn’t a Honda, and anyone who bought one ended up with an SUV with a very non-Honda-like service history. But then perhaps enough time has passed that actual Passport owners have aged out of the desired demographic.

“Pacifica” is another odd choice, but it seems to be working. So what do I know?

Hm. Tough choice. Looks like the Super Bee was the name of the drivetrain and not the boat, though. Also, Both Super Bees have the same (or similar?) engines, while the Passport went from a 70cc single to either a 2.6-liter 4 or a 3.2-liter V-6.

It’s not a model name, but “Volvo” was registered as the brand of a new line of ball bearing products when it was first created by SKF. They instead made a last-minute decision to use the trademark on a line of vehicles.

I think the definition of “modern” as it relates to the automotive industry is much more porous than other things. Cars essentially become outdated after one or two generations, which is usually four to eight years.

Boss had a new 2005 Pacifica back in the day. What a turd. A real no go show boat. Looked great on paper. I too was baffled at the Pacifica name being slapped on a new minivan, especially when Dodge still offers the old body.

On one hand my superpower of being able to name every car on the road is made easier by name revivals, on the other hand pasting them willy nilly onto cookie cutter crossover shapes might end up being my kryptonite!

Odd, the Ranger is selling so well…I have seen maybe one or two? I say maybe, because they look enough like a full-sized F series that they are nearly indistinguishable.
It is the Escape that is the most popular late model Ford that I see in my area.
Considering how 20 years ago some of us thought that the minivan was going to become the dominant vehicle type, then soccer moms got tired of them, I wonder how long it will take for folks to get into crossover overload?

Apples and oranges, the Ranger only started shipping a couple months ago (I only just now saw one at the dealer, and my daily commute takes me past that Ford dealer) while the Escape’s current body’s been around since 2013 (really 2012 since it was the now usual “all-new” spring launch) and is in its’ third model year since the last facelift.

Honda sure got its money worth flying that KBB “reviewer” and camera crew to Moab. I hope she was paid well to spread Honda’s marketing BS to a wider audience, because the PR and advertising people who created it in the first place certainly were. Look at that off-road machine, plowing through mud so thick that it almost covers the massive sidewall on those 20-inch tires. Impressive stuff.

Anyway, pet peeve of mine. It is smart marketing by Honda, though. Image matters. No one remembers that the Passport was a former Isuzu true-SUV. What they do know is that the name Passport is evocative of travel and adventure. Some nice press coverage and photographs of their frumpy station wagon with some mud on the tires, kayak on the roof, and redrock in the background will nicely reinforce that image to buyers. Similarly, few will remember the first Pacifica, but will notice that it is a nice-sounding name.

The Blazer is a far sadder reincarnation even further divorced from its roots, but it will sell in this market. The Explorer has done well for itself despite its complete inability to explore anything beyond tarmac, and moving to a RWD platform will only help its case with the suburban and boat-towing crowd who buys them and cares more about the Landrover-aping styling details than ground clearance.

Even as a Toyota fan I have no interest in the Supra. The entire point of that car for me would be sports car performance with Toyota reliability, and a rebadged BMW bought and serviced at cheaper-feeling dealerships misses it entirely.

Don’t forget the Gladiator. I think it was a smart move choosing that over ‘Scrambler’ since that’s one of the most badass nameplates ever nailed onto a truck. Honcho would have sounded great too. Just like the original Gladiator was a serious, all-in pickup for Jeep, the new Gladiator is much more than just a more versatile gravy-sales Wrangler. I owned a Scrambler and it’s probably the best all around vehicle I’ve ever owned. As a Wrangler variant, a new version would have some success. The way 4×4 crewcabs are used these days, it’s gonna be like printing money.

Bronco is set to return too. How will it fare? Devils in the details and we won’t know til we know.

As far as the Supra goes, its incorrect to say it’s the first mass market sports car appealing to non-boomers. That’s a tired and inaccurate trope, but this is only about the infinity billionth time I’ve heard it. Yes some Boomers are reliving glory days in the modern muscle cars but the reality is, affordable speed sells. Always has, always will. A lot of us Gen X ers’ first cars were well worn versions of old school muscle cars much how Boomers’ first cars were likely from the ‘50’s as they came of age in the ‘60’s.

“But then perhaps enough time has passed that actual Passport owners have aged out of the desired demographic.” *

Ding, we got a winner. Not too many 30-40-something buyers remember or care. The new Passport will be “wow a new Honda SUV!” It will sell to some who see CR-V’s and Pilots as the dreaded “parents’ car”..

*Same with Pacifica. Only car hobby folks remember the older one, which didn’t really have a bad rep. ‘Town & Country’ may as well be “Granny van”. If there’s ever a Caravan version, it should be a Ram product.

THAT is a new Supra? Oh come on.
Seriously. I give up.
Are they just welding a bunch of old scrap metal together, melting plastic over all of it, and calling it a day?
Are cars being designed by psychopathic A.I., acid-tripping chimps with a broken Windows 95 “paint” program or an old Spirograph attached to a Ouija board?
Wake me up when the current universe collapses into a black hole and comes out with a big bang on the other side of reality and it all begins again. This time stop in the 90s.

Honda Passport/Isuzu Wizard was only one of Hondas rebadge efforts, Honda Jazz and Horizon could also be had at the Isuzu store and there was a rebadged Landrover Discovery too, never mind some cars you havent seen yet, the new one looks sort of meh in a SUV way but people will buy it they always do.

Yup the Honda Passport and the Acura SLX(Trooper based) are the only two Honda products that had a piss poor resale value after 5 years.

I like the Rodeo and Trooper as they were crude but pretty rugged and were easy to fix (parts are still easy to find here)

As for the Blazer, I actually found the 2nd generation Blazer to be more comfortable and plush then the same era Explorer. I liked them both but found the non top of the line Explorer to have a cruder interior then the Blazer.

I think the Supra is long past its time. They were too expensive for most folks and did not sell well and it is not like the FT-86 is a huge seller also

Agreed. The time to bring the Supra back to market came and went probably 10 years ago, when the Nissan GT-R came out, and if you remember back that far Toyota has been teasing a Supra revival for as long. Honda too had the same laggared roll out with the NSX, which is also a slow seller.

As preservation of the elderly becomes a more reliable science, Nissan will undoubtedly pursue the twilight and sunset niches under the finest nameplate they ever sold – the Cedric. This time, electric. But governed – so no faster.

Reviving the Passport name struck me as odd, given that the first one was a rushed rebadge of an Isuzu after Honda had underestimated the popularity of SUVs.

The Chevrolet Blazer will undoubtedly sell well, even though hardcore loyalists have not been happy with the move. Last year, our local paper looked at which vehicle was the most popular in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, based on vehicle registration. It noted that quite a few late 1990s Blazers were still on the road in Pennsylvania. The purists may not like it, but the nameplate still has a fair amount of equity – at least in the Keystone State.